The present invention relates to a method for filtering a liquid, using at least one filter element in a filter housing, in which method the housing is drained of the liquid after each filtering period, and the element is cleaned with flushing air directed through the housing. Further, the invention relates to a filtering apparatus intended for carrying out the method.
Continuous automatic filters with alternating filtering and flushing periods, are used, for example, in diesel motors for filtering fuel or lubricant. The filtering is used for removing the principally solid impurities wearing the motor.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,583 discloses a filtering apparatus, in which the filtering is conducted alternately in two parallel filtering chambers, controlled by a rotating valve. The filtering chambers are cleaned with backflushing between the filtering periods.
Patent application FI 982113, which is related to the present application, discloses a filtering apparatus with three filtering units controlled with a common valve, two of the filtering units being intended to operate alternately in the actual filtering process, and the third one forming a reserve unit, into which the flow to be filtered is directed when the first two units are being serviced. The valve may comprise a spindle with circular cross-section, the operation of which is based on axial and rotary movement around its axis.
When after the filtering stage, the flushing stage is begun, the housing is full of liquid, which the pressurised air used for the flushing pushes ahead into a separate reject channel. Besides emptying the filter housing, the flushing air flow cleans the filter elements in the housing with backflushing. After the flushing stage, the filter housing is again filled with liquid, according to the above patent application FI 982113, with liquid to be filtered, which is directed from the inlet assembly for the filtered flow, for initiating the filtering stage. The flushing air in the filter housing is then discharged into the air vent beginning from the upper end of the filter housing. Air should be removed from the filter housing as completely as possible, because, for example, in a diesel motor, air bubbles must not be allowed to mix with the filtered fuel or lubricating oil. Some solutions are known, in which a float has been arranged in the upper end of the filter housing to close the exit route for air, as the housing is being filled with liquid. After this, it is possible to open the outlet assembly for the filtered flow so that filtering may be conducted as a flow-through from the inlet assembly through the casing of the filter element into the outlet assembly.
The object of the invention is to provide a solution with which the construction formed by the filter housing and related channels can be simplified, the emptying of the filter housing from liquid may be intensified at the beginning of the flushing stage, and the chance that air and the liquid to be filtered is mixed during the filtering stage can be completely eliminated. It is characteristic of the method of the invention that, after the flushing stage, the filter housing is filled with liquid so that the liquid pushes the flushing air from the upper end of the housing into a separate air container so that air is compressed to a higher pressure and that, after the end of the next filtering stage, liquid is pushed out of the filter housing with the pressure of air compressed into the air container.
Thus, it is achieved with the invention that the air remaining in the filter housing after the flushing stage does not need to be removed from the filtering process, and no corresponding outlet channels are needed for it but, on the contrary, this air may be stored to be utilized at a later stage of the process. As the air container is separate from the filter housing, the liquid directed into the housing may also be allowed to fill part of the air container so that no air is left in the filter housing, and also air in the air container is effectively isolated from the filter housing. Thus, there is no chance that air and liquid will be mixed in the filter housing during the filtering stage. After the filtering stage, air compressed into the air container effectively drains the filter housing from liquid so that it is then possible to direct the actual flushing air flow into the substantially empty filter housing.
Emptying the filter housing substantially from liquid at the end of the filtering stage merely by opening the reject channel is also of advantage taking into consideration service measures performed in the filter housing. In the filter housing, the liquid to be filtered may be, for example, fuel oil at the temperature of 100-150xc2x0 C. which, for reasons of safety, is removed from the housing before opening the cover of the housing. In known solutions, backflushing should be performed in the filter housing before the cover of the housing can be opened.
According to an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention, the discharge of compressed air from the air container into the filter housing occurs so that air participates in the backflushing of the filter element or elements. The flushing effect of air is most intensely directed to the upper end of the filter element, which first becomes free of the discharging liquid. As the air pressure drops, the flushing effect to the lower parts of the filter element is less. If however, the actual flushing air flow led through the lower part of the filter housing is simultaneously initiated, efficient backflushing is achieved to both ends of the element at the same time.
The filtering apparatus of the invention intended to be used for applying the above method comprises at least one filter element placed in the filter housing, which filter element is equipped with an inlet assembly for the liquid flow to be filtered, with an outlet assembly for the filtered flow, and with an air channel for cleaning the filter element with air flushing between the filtering periods. According to the invention, it is essential in the apparatus that the upper end of the filter housing is connected to the air container through a connection channel, air in the housing being arranged to be compressed in the air channel as the housing is filled with liquid.
There is advantageously a connection from the air container through the connecting channel to the exhaust side of each filter element in the filter housing, i.e. to the side from which the filtered liquid flow is discharged to the outlet assembly, so that the air discharging under pressure from the air container is available for the backflushing of the element.
From the point of view of the design and space utilization of the apparatus, it may be appropriate to arrange the air container partly or entirely lower than the upper end of the filter element and to arrange the connecting channel to connect the upper end of the filter housing with the lower end of the air container. As cylindrical filter elements, so-called candles, are typically used in the filter housing, the center of the housing is easily left with unused space, which may especially advantageously be utilized by changing it to the air container required by the invention. The candle-shaped filter elements may then be placed as a ring around the air container, or it is possible to arrange only one single cylindrical filter element of sandwiched or fluted filtering material to surround the air container in the filter housing.